Nintendo and Cyanogen Almost Partnered for an Android-Based OS on the Switch

According to former Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster, in the company’s early days it was approached by Nintendo to develop an OS system for a portable device.

Allegedly, Nintendo contacted McMaster and his response was to tell them to “stick it”, deciding to not go through with the partnership.

https://twitter.com/kynprime/status/844067427411406848

Cyanogen is behind the open-source operating system CyanogenMod, which was developed as a means to challenge and improve upon Google’s take on mobile OS systems. Last year the company refocused and shut down its Andrid-based OS, but the source code and open source project are still available online for those who want to work on it personally.

It’s unclear why McMaster would turn down a partnership with Nintendo, especially since Nintendo would have contacted Cyanogen sometime after the Wii’s immense launch success in the mid 2000s. The former CEO is still a fan of the Switch though, as stated further down the thread.